


Be Not Resigned

by donutsweeper



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-09-07 00:01:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8775052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donutsweeper/pseuds/donutsweeper
Summary: They may have stopped Flynn's most recent plan, but that didn't mean their mission was over.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [slipshod](https://archiveofourown.org/users/slipshod/gifts).



"Damn it!" Wyatt yelled, pushing Lucy down, a bullet smacking into the tree where her head had been moments before. "I thought we lost him when we crossed the river!"

"You mean when you fell into the river and we waded in after you," Rufus grumbled, but he stayed where he'd hunched down as soon as the shooting had started, half under a bush and out of the line of fire. 

Lucy glared at Rufus as best she could from behind Wyatt's bulk, but she couldn't really argue the point. Well, she could, because it was unfair to say to say Wyatt had fallen in considering he'd only gone into the water after winning a hand to hand fight with the man Flynn had left guarding the bridge but then, when he'd turned back to their side of the river to gesture them across, someone had fired at them from the bank. It was only a glancing blow, skimming his left shoulder, but enough to unbalance him on the narrow bridge and he'd gone over the side and into the water below. 

She'd tried to keep her head as she and Rufus had ran along the edge of the river while the water carried Wyatt downstream, but it had been hard not to panic since he was facedown and, for a few moments anyway, didn't appear to be moving. But shortly after they'd gone around the bend in the river he'd suddenly popped up and tried to get his feet under him. Between the current and the slippery rocks along the riverbed he faltered, pinwheeling his right arm for a moment before falling back into the water but Rufus and Lucy had gotten to him before he could go under and, between the two of them, gotten him upright and to the shore. They'd hadn't realized that Flynn's man had given chase until he started shooting at them a few moments ago.

"You say potato," Wyatt joked as peered around the tree he was using as cover. 

Lucy watched as he stilled, utterly focusing on his target and then fired once. The satisfied smile on his face said everything she needed to know. "You got him?"

"Yep. He won't be bothering us again. Come on, we better head back to the lifeboat. Ever since almost getting stuck in 1754 I don't like leaving it for longer than we have to."

"You don't think Flynn's going to try to strand us somewhere again, do you?" Rufus poked his head up slowly, looking around as he did, probably worried there might be more of Flynn's men.

"That should be the last of them," Wyatt said, gesturing in the direction of the man he'd felled before clapping Rufus on the back. "And, no, considering we stopped Flynn from rigging that bomb that would have altered the course of World War One, I doubt it. Well, I should say I don't think disabling the lifeboat was his plan when he drew us here, but I wouldn't put it past him to try to get us off his tail if the opportunity presented itself."

Lucy couldn't help but groan, fingering the wet hem of her skirt. "It's still at least a three mile walk back to where we left the ship and these boots were uncomfortable _before_ they got all wet." Which, come to think of it, gave her pause. "Wait a minute. How are you not freezing? Your clothes are completely soaked. I don't understand; you got shot and almost drowned, but you're running around like you're just fine. That's insane."

Wyatt turned to her and offered a hand to help her to her feet. It was ice cold, but he pulled it away and began speaking before she could comment on it. "I'm a soldier," he offered with a shrug, seeming somewhat confused by both her question and concern. "I do what needs to be done. Besides," he poked at his shoulder, examining the way the bullet wound was still sluggishly bleeding, "this is just a graze. It's not a big deal."

"I, for one, am very glad it _is_ only graze and not another bullet I need to dig out of you." Rufus shuddered. "If I never have to do anything like that ever again, it'll be too soon. But, that said, I'm with her. I think you're crazy. I mean, I'm glad you're with us and I trust you with my life, but, the way you do what you do? Yeah, you're insane."

"But in a good way," Lucy added quickly. 

"Insane, but in a good way?" Wyatt looked at her, then at Rufus, then back at her and shook his head. "How does that. Is that even. You know what? Never mind. Lucy's right, we've a three mile hike ahead of us. The weather's turning and it's probably going to rain soon so we should get started." Slipping his gun into the holster hidden under his coat, Wyatt took one last look around before nodding to himself and leading them back into the forest

Lucy looked up, there were a few clouds in the sky, but none were particularly ominous looking. "How do you know it's going to rain?"

Wyatt half turned, regarding them for a moment as they walked. "Well, the wind's picking up and there's a bite to it that wasn't there earlier. The clouds have gone hazy and slightly gray. And, there's that smell. Earthy and sharp?" He waved a hand aimlessly at the sky. "Rain's coming."

"Right. Of course." Lucy rolled her eyes. Rufus must have saw because caught her eye and snickered.

"You guys really can't smell that?" Wyatt asked after they'd walked for a little while in silence.

"I smell dirt," Lucy offered.

"And leaves," Rufus added. "And the river maybe? But that's probably just from our clothes."

Wyatt just shook his head at them again and they continued on their way. His pace was a bit faster than what would be a leisurely stroll for Lucy considering her uncomfortable footwear, but it wasn't terribly taxing. 

Trying to watch her step and keep on the steep path, it was only when she slowed to examine a shiny dark patch on some pebbles about an hour later that she realized that Wyatt's slower than usual pace wasn't for her sake. The rocks weren't made of some interesting mineral like she'd first assumed, the reddish spot was wet. Wet with…. "This is blood," she said slowly, her eyes skimming the ground, finding another dark splotch a few feet ahead and another in the dirt right next to where Wyatt had stopped to wait for her. "Wyatt, you're bleeding."

"Yeah, I noticed that, thank you."

"Wait, you're bleeding? Like, really bleeding?" Rufus brushed past her and up to Wyatt. "I thought you said that was just a bullet crease!"

"I did! It is!"

"It shouldn't be bleeding this much," Lucy mused, moving next to Rufus so they could glare at Wyatt together. "What aren't you telling us?"

"It's fine. I made sure not to leave a trail when there was anyone around who might use it to track us, but you're right, I should be more careful." Wyatt wouldn't meet their eyes, keeping his head down, glaring at the ground as he shoved his left hand in his pocket, attempting to hide the sharp intake of breath that followed by adding, "We need to get moving so we can get back to the lifeboat before this storm hits."

"You're only worried about leaving a trail? Wyatt," she began, but Rufus interrupted her.

"Do you trust us?"

"I have to."

"Then talk to us." Now that she was looking, actually looking, at Wyatt, Lucy realized how pale and wan he was. His hair was still wet and clung to his face and he seemed to be shaking ever so slightly. "Tell us what's wrong."

"I'm just trying to complete my mission," he said softly.

"We stopped the bombing and you protected us from Flynn's men," she said, as kindly as she could, like she used to talk to Amy when she was small. "We're on our way back to the lifeboat and then we'll go home. Your mission's good." Moving slowly, telegraphing her movements, she reached out to check on his shoulder. She could feel his shivers through his sodden coat. "We should get this off you, being this wet, it can't be helping you."

"Wyatt?" Rufus asked. "What happened? Where else are you hurt?"

"The guy on the bridge had a knife," he said flatly, like facing a man with a knife was just another part of a typical day for him, which, Lucy realized, it kind of was. "It was longer than I thought so when I feinted away he still got me a little. It's bleeding a bit heavier than I'd like, but it's not that bad. I figured I'd get it treated when I went in for the bullet crease."

"Wyatt." She sighed, swallowing the urge to either lecture him over his disregard about his health or whack him upside the head. "Show us."

With Rufus' help, they slipped Wyatt's right arm out of the coat before carefully pulling it off his left. The bullet had left a furrow that was still slowly oozing blood and on the underside of the arm was a knife wound, a slice a few inches long that was bleeding fairly freely and the sleeve was soaked with blood. Shaking her head, Lucy tore a strip of cloth off her sleeve and began winding it around his arm as a makeshift bandage. "Remind me to suggest they start including actual first aid supplies on our next trip. They'll have to be time appropriate I suppose, but something will be better than nothing."

"You don't have to do this." Wyatt held himself still, stiff, as she worked. "Either of you," he added, including Rufus, who was doing his own brand of fussing by stripping off his own jacket and slinging it over Wyatt's shoulders.

"You take care of us, we take care of you. It's all part of the job description," Rufus offered simply. "Let us do our jobs."

"No it's not. Rufus is the pilot, Lucy's the historian and I'm the soldier. I protect _you_. I take care of _you_. This is pretty minor, they can take care of it when we get back. You don't need to do this," Wyatt said, matter-of-factly before repeating, "You don't have to."

"We want to," Lucy replied, just as matter-of-factly, cupping his cold cheek in her palm. "We do."

He faltered for a moment, blinking several times, expressions flittering over his face before she could ascertain their meaning. Hope maybe. Also some disbelief. Rufus, probably sensing the same cavalcade of emotions from Wyatt as she was, stayed pressed up behind him, letting Wyatt soak up both his warmth and strength. 

It felt good, right, the three of them together like that - like they were a single unit, them against the world - and they stood there for a moment, Rufus behind Wyatt and Lucy in front, taking and providing comfort. It was only when they heard a crack of thunder in the distance that they moved, turning and heading for home.


End file.
